Concealed refrigerator lock



July 49 1933. E. W. NORTH l l ONCEALED REFRIGERATOR LOCK' Filed may 2'2,1931 fw mw Q. f M A M W Patented .Fully 49 1933 l j atraen STATESvaexrizNr lorries :EDWIN vW'. NORTH, 0F ROCKIFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0NATIONAL LOCK CO., 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F DELAWARECONCEALED REFRIGERATOR LOC* Application filed May 22,

lems are involved.

In certaininstances it is desirable to not only latch a refrigeratordoor in closed position but also to lock the door in latched position.Whether the latch is of the locking type or not it is always desirableto have the lock concealed within the door and when the locking featureis also required it is desired to have the locking feature incorporatedinconspicuously with the latching mechanism. When a latch and/or lock isinstalled within f a refrigerator door in such a manner as to concealthe working parts thereof the parts within the door being nearer to theinterior of the refrigerator are in fairly good heat conductive relationto the interior of a refrigerator. These interior parts which arenormally in heat conductive relation to the handle consequently providea means for a transfer of heat through the lock and to the handlebetween the interior of the refrigerator and the exterior. This transferof heat not only results in a loss of eiciency in the refrigerator butalso causes condensation and may even cause frosting upon the exterioihandle.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a concealed latch whichmay be locked, which is particularly suitable for refrigerators in thatit will not transfer heat causing a loss in efciency of the refrigeratoror con- '5 densation7 which may be readily installed without weakeningthe door structure, which is easily operable, and which is neat andattractive in appearance.

In accordance with this invention, the working parts to be concealedwithin the door are arranged in such a manner as to occupy very littlespace and are enclosed within a single housing preferably cylindrical. Ahandle is provided for actuating the lock and is heat insulated from theinterior parts, the handle being preferably made of some heat insulatingmaterial which substantially encloses the heat conducting elements thatmay project through the door. 'In the preferred construction the post orstein. is also heat in- 1931. Serial No. 539,188.

sulated from the bolt as well as from the housing to further eliminateheat conductivity through the lock. v f

A better understanding of the novel features and construction of thisinvention will be apparent from the foregoing description illustratingone' embodiment of vthis invention given in connection with the drawing,in which: L

Fig. l is a front elevation of a portion of a cabinet door having alatch thereon embodying the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section' taken through approximatelythe center of the latch along lines 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through Fig. 2 taken on line 33 of Fig.'2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a strike.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention a lock embodying theprinciples thereof is shown as applied to a mortised refrigerator door larranged to abut against a door frame 2 and close a door opening definedthereby, the lock mechanism proper being concealed within a bore 3formed in the door leaving the handle only extending exteriorly o'f thedoor.

The lock is operable by means of the handle perspective of the keeper or4 having a ferrule or sleeve 6 seated therein the handle preferablybeing of some suitable heat insulating material such as bakelite and ymolded onto a flanged end 7 of a tubular post or stem section 8. Thetubular section terminates in a squared end 9 which receives a similarlysquared end 11 of a solid section l2 of the post, the latter being acontinuation of the tubular section. Journalled upon the post adjacentthe other end thereof, that is,

upon the interior end of the solid portion l2- of the stem, is a bolt 18having a laterally extending arm 14 which carries a roller 16 arrangedto latehingly engage a keeper 17 secured to the edge of door frame 2 andeX- tending into a recess 15 formed in the rabbet of the door. Thebearing portion of the bolt 1B is relatively long and is provided with abushing 18 of some insulating material `which serves toiinsulate thebolt from the fixed to and'projecting radially from post 12.

The lugs 19 and 21 are of proper width to allow limited rotation of thebolt upon the stem 12, the bolt being rotatable by the stem after thelost motion has been exceeded.

A coil spring 22 surrounding the stem and bolt having one end 23engaging the bolt and its opposite end engaging a plate 24 normallyurges the bolt toward one limit of its rotary movement and also urgesthe bolt and stem in one direction, namely, counter-clockwise, as viewedin Fig. 1. Plate 24 lies within the escutcheon 26 and is provided with apair of laterally projecting tongues 27 drilled to receive the securingscrews 28 which serve to retain the ent-ire latch within the door.

The stem isrotatably supported adjacent its exterior end adjacent theinner end of the handle by an inturned ange 29 formed on the escutcheon,the latter flange forming a beari ing for the inner end of sleeve 6`which sur- Yrounds the tubular end ll of the post. The

inner end of the post is rotatably supported by the inturned flange 30of a cup-shaped housing 31 which surrounds and encloses the entireinterior end of the stem, spring, and bolt, the housing being providedwith an opening 32 through which arm 14 of the bolt may project, theouter end of the housing is provided with an out-turned ange 33 which isreceived within the escutcheon and is secured therewith against rotationby screws 28.

The interior end of the stem is reduced in diameter as at 34 where-itextends through the housing and is peened over as at 36 to secure thehousing and stem together. A pair of Washers 37 and 38 are placedbetween the peened head 36 and the outer surface of the interior end ofthe housing to take the thrust between the stem and housing. Washer 38is preferably formed of some insulating material to further insulate thestem from the housing.

In order that the handle may be locked against movement when desired, alock or key cylinder 40 is rotatably secured Within the outer end of thetubular portion 8 of the stem and is retained therein by an expandingspring collar 41 which engages an annular groove 42 inthe cylinder andalso engages a pairof slots formed in the tubular stem portion. The lockcylinder-is arranged to receive a key 43 by means'of which the cylindermay be rotated in the usual manner when unlocked, the locking tumblersnot being' which engages a locking slide 46 slidingly mounted insuitable aligned openings formed transversely through the post members.Locking slide 46 when in one position engages in a slot 47 ofsubstantially the same Width as the slide formed in plate 24 and when inits other position engages in a relatively wider slot 48 formed in plate24 diametrically opposite slot 47. It follows that when slide 46 engagesin slot 47 the stem and handle are securely locked against rotation andwhen slide 46 engages in slot 48 the handle and stem may be rotatedthrough a limited arc determined by the width of slot 48. Thepermissible movement of the handle and slot is sufficient to allowroller 16 to be disengaged from keeper 17.

It follows from the above that latch has been provided which may belocked when desired, the latch being Very comipact and easily operabledue to the manner o supporting the bolt and the stem. The bolt action ispositive in one direction only, that is, the handle throws the bolt intoopen position but when the door is snapped shut the bolt movesindependently of the stem against the action of the spring. It is alsoapparent the handle is insulated from the stem or post due to itsinsulating properties and that there is substantially no opportunity forheat transfer through the lock and consequently Substantially noresulting condensation. The manner of insulating the bolt and housingfrom the stem further reduces the possibility of heat transfer throughthe lock. Furthermore the lock is so-arranged and constructed that itmay be confined and totally enclosed within a relatively small housingwhich requires only a relatively small aperture within the door toreceive the entire lock and another small recess to receive the keeperWith no resulting weakening of the door.

It is obvious that the lock described may be applied to other purposesthan a refrigerator though it is particularly well adapted forrefrigerating use in combination with a door thereof in such a manner asto prevent loss of efficiency in the refrigerator due'to heat conductionthrough the lock. It is also apparent that many changes may be made inthe structural details of the embodiment shown for purposes ofillustration without departing from the spirit and scope of theinventionas defined in the following claims.

1. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a post, a. handle secured to oneend of said post for rotating the latter and a bolt secured to said postfor rotation therewith, and means for heat insulating said bolt fromsaid post to prevent transmission of heat from said bolt to said post.

2. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a' post, a handle secured to oneend of said post for rotating the latter, a. bolt secured to said postLeraars for rotation therewith, and a heat insulating member betweensaid bolt and said post to prevent transmission of heat from said boltto said post.

3. In a `concealed refrigerator lock, a post, a handle secured to oneend of saidpost for rotating the latter, a bolt secured to said post forrotation therewith and journalled thereon for limited rotationrelatively to said post, and a heat insulating bushing between said boltand said post to prevent transmission of heat from said bolt to saidpost.

4f. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a post, a handle secured to oneend of said post for rotating the latter and a bolt secured to said postfor rotation therewith, a housing enclosing the interior portion of saidpost and means for substantially heat insulating said housing from saidpost.

5. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a post, a handle secured to one endof said post for rotating the latter and a bolt secured to said post forrotation therewith, means for heat insulating said bolt from said post,a housing enclosing the inner portion of said post,

y and means for heat insulating the inner end y wall of said housingfrom said post.

6. In a concealed refrigerator lock, al post,

4a handle secured to one end of said post for rotating the latter and abolt secured to said post for rotation therewith and' jour-nalledthereon for limited rotation relatively to said post, a heat insulatingbushing between said bolt and said post, a housing enclosing theinterior portion of said post, and means for heat insulating the innerend wall of said housing from said post.

7. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a post, means for rotatablysupporting said post adjacent each end, a handle secured to one end ofsaid post for rotating the same, and a bolt permanently secured to saidpost for rotation therewith upon rotation of said post in one dlrectionwhile permitting relative rotation between said post and bolt in theother direction.

8. The combination of a refrigerator door,

with a concealed lock therefor adapted to be mounted within the door andcomprising a post having its major portion and inner end lying withinthe door, a bolt operatively connected to the inner end of said post foractuation thereby and a handle of heat insulating material secured toand substantially enclosing that portion of the post lying without thedoor to thermally insulate the latter portion of the post from theatmosphere, whereby transfer of heat from said bolt to said handle andfrosting of the latter is substantially eliminated.

9. The combination of a refrigerator door, with a concealed locktherefor adapted to be mounted within the door and comprising a posthaving its major portion and inner end lying within the door, a boltoperatively connected to the inner end of said post for actuationthereby, means for thermally insulating said bolt from said post, and ahandle of heat insulating material secured tov and substantiallyenclosing that portion of the post lying Without the door to thermallyinsulate the latter portion of the post from the atmosphere, wherebytransfer of heat from said bolt to said handle andfrosting of the latteris substantially eliminated.

10. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a post, a handle secured to oneend of said post for rotating the latter, a bolt, and means forypermanently securing said bolt to said post for rotationV therewith inone direction while permitting limited rotation relatively to said postin the other direction.

l1. In a concealed refrigerator lock, a post,v a handle secured to oneend of said post for rotating the latter, means for locking said handleand said post against rotation, and a bolt ixedly secured to said postfor rotation' therewith in one direction, said bolt being journalledthereon for limited rotation relatively to said post in the otherdirection.

In witness of the foregoing I afliX my si gnature.

EDWIN W. NORTH.

